Representatives from the Texas A&M College
of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences broke ground for a
new state-of-the-art Avian Complex that will support the continued
growth of avian medicine and research at the college. (pictured l
to r): Dr. Sandee Hartsfield, Head of the Department of Small
Animal Clinical Sciences; Dr. Eleanor M. Green, Carl B. King Dean
of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Sharman Hoppes, Clinical Associate
Professor, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences; Dr. Ian
Tizard, Distinguished Professor of Immunology, Director of the
Schubot Center for Exotic Bird Health, Department of Veterinary
Pathobiology; Stacie Koinis, Second year Veterinary Student, Avian
Chair of Zoo, Exotics, and Wildlife (ZEW) student group; Dr. Linda
L. Logan, Head of the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology.

COLLEGE STATION, TX - The Texas A&M University College of
Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) officially
broke ground Friday on a new Exotic & Wild Bird Aviary
scheduled for completion in May 2014.

The new building will be approximately 11,000 square feet and
will contain a functional hospital, receiving area with quarantine
capabilities, two isolation rooms, a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory
for infectious disease research, spacious teaching and classroom
space, and four offices.

"Based upon its excellence, our avian programs are growing,"
said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, Carl
B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. "Our faculty have made
substantial contributions to the health and welfare of birds and to
the avian industry, in terms of educating future and current
veterinarians, providing the highest level of avian patient care,
and advancing the knowledge edge. As leaders in avian medicine, we
also train the next generation of veterinarians and scientists to
continue this important mission. This facility will provide the
laboratory, avian housing, and classroom space that will allow this
program to continue to thrive."

"This is a beautiful facility that exemplifies the College's
commitment to exotic species and to conservation in general," said
Dr. Ian Tizard, Richard M.
Schubot Professor of Exotic Bird Health and Distinguished
Professor of Immunology in the Department of Veterinary
Pathobiology at the CVM. "It enhances our programs in environmental
health and will be a magnificent resource for the whole
college."

The new, climate-controlled aviary will be able to house a
population of 200-250 birds-many more than is possible in the
current facilities-in a comfortable and safe environment, with
separate spaces for infected and healthy birds, which will help
researchers conduct their studies. For example, one major research
program into the prevention and treatment of proventricular
dilatation disease involves birds infected with avian bornavirus.
In the new facility, these birds can be kept separate from both
healthy birds and birds infected with other diseases.

"With a newer, more modern aviary, we will be able to attract
more interest in both the university and the college, leading to
more collaborative efforts and more student involvement," said Dr. Sharman M Hoppes,
Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Small Animal
Clinical Sciences at the CVM and a specialist in avian
medicine.

"We will have much better teaching facilities, not only for
undergraduates and DVM professional students but also for
continuing education and other courses," Tizard said. The new
building, with its dedicated teaching space, will better promote an
understanding of avian diseases, husbandry, and conservation among
current and future veterinarians. The enlarged and enhanced
facilities will also provide space for specialized birds, such as
raptors, for which the students can learn appropriate care and
treatment.

The new facility will expand the capabilities of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health
Center at the CVM, founded in 1987 by an endowment from Mr.
Richard M. Schubot with matching funds provided by Texas A&M
University. The center conducts research into all aspects of
disease in wild and captive birds, as well as avian genetics,
genomics, nutrition, and behavior. The results of research at the
center are already being applied to improving the health of birds
kept by zoos, aviculturists, and individual pet owners, as well
conserving threatened avian species in the wild.

"Although the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center is already known
internationally in the avian world, many in our own university and
community are unaware that we are here and what we have done or are
doing in terms of both avian conservation and clinical diagnosis
and treatment," Hoppes said. "This new and improved aviary will
increase our exposure and hopefully excite the community and
encourage them to support our work in avian research and the care
and management of our birds."

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